Yodle and NACDL

 Posted on November 08, 2010 in Uncategorized

this post about Yodle, in which I wrote:

Yodle sucks because, aside from cold-calling NACDL members claiming that organization's imprimatur (which it does not have), it sells lawyers cookie-cutter websites.

I got an email from Kara Silverman at Yodle. In part:

I am happy to post a response on your blog, but I was also hoping to have a conversation with you regarding several of the points you made in your blog post. I would be interested in talking with you about Yodle's official affinity partnership with the NACDL and also having you speak with current NACDL President Jim Lavine regarding this partnership. Additionally, having a more in depth conversation with you regarding our template and custom website options might help to clarify the sites that you've seen around the web that have been created by Yodle on behalf of our attorney clients.

I had already-some months ago, after getting a cold call from Brad Leach at Yodle, in which he claimed that Yodle had been selected by NACDL as a "preferred provider"-asked NACDL leadership about Yodle's relationship to the organization. Yodle is an "affinity partner" with NACDL, which means that it gives NACDL members a discount on its products (crap for sale! 25% off!) and, I hope, pays the organization something for such access.

Here's what NACDL says about its "affinity partners" like Yodle:

NACDL does not necessarily endorse or guarantee the quality or applicability of the products and/or services of its Affinity Partners. Users of these products and/or services do so at their sole discretion and NACDL assumes no responsibility for them.

So, yes, when Yodle marketers claim NACDL's imprimatur, it's a lie.

If a company would lie to get your business, it will lie on your behalf. If you're a lawyer and they lie on your behalf, you're responsible. OM=OE; OM=OR.

Yodle, FindLaw, and their kin don't lie for the love of lying. They lie for money, and will stop when you stop paying them.